Got another rejection, really really really pissed off

My intention is not to downplay your struggles but your story so far isn’t exactly littered with hardhips.
Put it behind you or look at it as a learning experience and start applying for more jobs.

I have had three companies in a row behave in this exact way. Everything is fine and dandy, I get an interview. Do well in the interview, and then boom. “We have decided to go with someone more senior”.

You will likely still have to apply for jobs and go through the interviewing process.

Other jobs don’t demand a new graduate comes with five years of experience.

That sounds like a pretty accurate description of the job hunting process in my limited experience. Do you know how many people you were competing with?

Apply for more jobs, do more interviews.

Sounds like you don’t want to do what it takes, which is coming up with some original work and rewriting your portfolio.

If I wasn’t willing to do what it takes, do you think I would have gotten a graduate degree in hard science? I am however fed up with being told that everything I do is worthless and should just be scrapped.

Most of it is taking something and rewriting a better version of it. So, that’s just something you should always be doing with your portfolio anyway. I always am. And I’m not even trying to find a job.

That is totally fine, and also completely orthogonal to what was previously stated where you claimed that only original work was what counted.

We’ve done what we can to help, but it seems you have already decided to throw in the towel. If you change your mind, we’ll still be here to help. Best of luck in whatever you decide to try next. Hopefully you find something you love enough to suffer for.

I have had it with being told that everything I do and know is worthless and should be trashed. I had enough of that in college.

Last time, three people for two positions.

As a Junior Developer, what you do is mostly rewrite stuff. As a senior, and I addressed this, you’ll want to show you have potential to be a senior, will be coming up with new solutions. That’s why the portfolio needs some original work in it. But, if you want to keep arguing over why you didn’t get the job, instead of taking advice and actually getting the job, go head. You do you. I just think this time could be better spent working on that portfolio.

https://github.com/Pethaf/ImageEnhancer/tree/master This is AFAIK the first implementation of its kind. Renderscript accelerated contrast enhacement through fuzzy logic. But what do I know, since I am not willing to do anything on my own or come up with my own solutions.

Again, the tone, could be less jerk-face, since everything I’ve said here is to HELP YOU, and so far has not been a productive use of my time since you keep arguing with the advice instead of taking it. Second, why the heck aren’t you including THAT in your portfolio? If it’s impressive, show it off. Its what I’ve been saying this whole time. I never said you didn’t have anything to show, just that your portfolio doesn’t show it. THAT’S the PROBLEM, or are you still going to argue with me? Nobody will hire you for things they don’t see. It doesn’t have to be front end related to count. It just has to be good!

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Again, the tone, could be less jerk-face, since everything I’ve said here is to HELP YOU, and so far has not been a productive use of my time since you keep arguing with the advice instead of taking it. Second, why the heck aren’t you including THAT in your portfolio?

The real reason is because I have been waiting while I learn react-router to rewrite my portfolio page as a SPA.

Nobody will hire you for things they don’t see. It doesn’t have to be front end related to count. It just has to be good!

I get interviews, that is not the problem. The problem is that companies who said they wanted juniors, suddenly in the middle of it decide they want seniors instead.

If you do not want constructive feedback on your portfolio or your strategy to get a job, you should not have asked for help.

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Constructive feedback sure, beeing told that everything you have done is worthless and might as well be trashed is not constructive feedback.

Additionally, recruiters almost always go with the candidate who has the most relevant work experience and qualifications, aka seniority. Getting your foot in the door is the hardest part, especially if you don’t have a degree in the relevant field. I have read of people who applied to scores of jobs with a fantastic portfolio before receiving just one offer. The primary point is you keep trying by regularly improving your craft and embracing criticism whenever it’s offered. Learning web development or any skill-set is a very-long-term investment with no guarantee of immediate success, not a one-way ticket to prosperity.

That ain’t nothing… many people deal with a lot more rejection before finding the (Ruby) gem of a job. I’m in that position right now. Some great interviews but either they’re looking for someone with more experience or in some cases “we’re going in another direction with the role” or “the budget isn’t there”. I know I’m doing everything in my power and all the “right things” (whatever those are) but so far just haven’t found the right match.

Sure I want to give up but eventually I decide… no I don’t want to give up. I’ve got a few “strikes” against me already but I’m just gonna keep learning (and doing a portfolio though I REALLY wonder what the the percentage of people is who actually look… eh…).

Point is… Either you should sit yourself down and reflect on exactly what you want job wise/career wise or start focusing on the positive rather than the negative. It’s hard- I ought to know given my own history & background.

They knew exactely what experience I had when they wanted me to interview, if they were looking for a senior they are just wasting time for me and for them.

I’m noticing a trend of people being very negative about their job prospects and blaming “tech society” or “society” in general for their own problems.

If you don’t have a github portfolio, website, linkedin and CV to show an employer you’re already in the bin.

They didn’t reject you because they wanted someone more senior. They rejected you because you interviewed and didn’t prove to them that you could do the job. Their “excuse” is that they wanted someone more senior.

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An interview can say a lot more than your Github or LinkedIn might show. Maybe they wanted to interview you because they liked your resume, or liked some of your projects? But when it came to the behavioral interview something you said they really didn’t like. Based on your responses here, you have quite a negative attitude and are very frustrated with the process. Interviewers can hear confidence, and also want to see your attitude to determine if you’d fit in with their work culture, and that you are the type who is willing to learn on the job without being hand held every step of the way. It’s time to breath some fresh air, perhaps do a rewrite of your resume and social media, and maybe get some interview practice using a friend knowledgeable in the field.

It sucks to be rejected, but it happens to everyone, in every industry, even with years of experience. The important thing to do is to try to improve yourself after every rejection, never quit trying to better present yourself.

My level of experience in this field is definitely pennies to the dollar (if that) but as stated above, the work you present doesn’t appear to show your true abilities/potential.

I know you say that “you get an interview, and then they decide to go with someone more senior.” I’m sure this is very frustrating, but maybe that more “senior” individual has a portfolio set up with thoughtful projects they are interested in and care about, as oppose to rudimentary projects you see on a lot of beginners code-pens (like myself.)

I routinely hear from people with experience in the industry and tech, that a company will prefer to go with someone who shows the eagerness to learn, grow and build things they are passionate about - making it easier to talk about these projects and present them; as logic would dictate, if you are passionate about something (a sport, animals, food ect.) Your respective project will reflect that.

I am by no means trying to disregard your knowledge/experience however, your work and attitude in this thread don’t seem to present “passionate and life long learner” which is one of the top characteristics that stand out in the job market (from popular, respected opinions I have heard.)

At the end of the day, employing someone is an investment.

I hope you can reinvigorate your passion and dedication to build and host a sweet portfolio with in-depth projects you are passionate about as it seems like these are the things that may be holding you back (just my two cents.)

Something to think about - for everyone one person with a masters degree and college credits from a prestigious university, there are probably 3, 4 maybe 5 others with thoughtful projects, a dedicated portfolio and hunger to learn from others and their past experiences/setbacks.

Why not give yourself the upper-hand and take on those characteristics?

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Based on your responses here, you have quite a .negative attitude and are very frustrated with the process.

I am fed up with hearing “critical shortage” and then when it comes to actually hiring it turns out that junior means “have worked in the field for 4 years”.

It’s time to breath some fresh air, perhaps do a rewrite of your resume and social media, and maybe get some interview practice using a friend knowledgeable in the field.

Always always my fault, always. Never ever exagerated claims from the business side.

It sucks to be rejected, but it happens to everyone, in every industry, even with years of experience. The important thing to do is to try to improve yourself after every rejection, never quit trying to better present yourself.

The business should stop lying and tell the truth. They want seniors, nothing else.

Did you even read what I wrote? I didn’t even get a chance to show off my projects. They decided after the behavioural interview that they wanted a senior backend developer while their ad asked for a junior dev.

I am by no means trying to disregard your knowledge/experience however, your work and attitude in this thread don’t seem to present “ passionate and life long learner ” which is one of the top characteristics that stand out in the job market (from popular, respected opinions I have heard.)

The attitude I have now has been groomed after being rejected time and time and time and time again for increasingly obviously made-up reasons.

I have had it with this rotten business. I have had it with never being good enough. I have had it with being told that nothing I do is worth anything and that I should just keep on chasing a moving target. I have had it with being expected to have 5 years of previous experience in litteraly everything as a junior. There is no other profession in the world where a junior is expected to have already worked in the field for 5 years. And in particular I have had it with being acused of plagiarism for doing the projects from FCC.

Your own attitude appears to be your worst enemy.

As was stated above by more knowledgeable people than myself… You speak as if a potential employer would not take the time to view your work before bringing you in for any kind of interview… Where does this logic stem from? I haven’t heard of a single business/company that would not view someones work before an interview.

Instead of making excuses, why not make the adjustments that have been recommended to you? I don’t know how you expect things to go your way when you are directly hindering yourself by not having well thought out projects and a portfolio, employers are 100% going to check your work before bringing you into the interview stage, it’s probably a safe bet to say this more senior person that got chosen instead for these proposed roles had real, in depth projects, as oppose to small bit’s and pieces, and an apparent lack of portoflio

I’m all for supporting others and trying to offer assistance and be positive, but you can only lead a horse to water, you can’t make them drink it. You not thinking that your lack of projects doesn’t have anything to do with the lack of employment really baffles me. :thinking:

PS - I truly do wish you the best of luck and hope things turn around, however that may be.

Employers used to think that a university degreehatu in a TEM subject proved that you could learn things and thus was employable. The invention that you need a degree, 5 years of experience and load of network is a new invention. The fact that this continues while hearing about the “critical shortage of developers” gets my gears grinding.

Instead of making excuses, why not make the adjustments that have been recommended to you? I don’t know how you expect things to go your way when you are directly hindering yourself by not having well thought out projects and a portfolio, employers are 100% going to check your work before bringing you into the interview stage, it’s probably a safe bet to say this more senior person that got chosen instead for these proherposed roles had real, in depth projects, as oppose to small bit’s and pieces, and an apparent lack of portoflio

You want real in-depth projects? How about the labyrinth navigating robot I built from scratch together with five other students? How about the stock portfolio optimizer I wrote together with fiver other students? These are projects that I have on hard paper that I have done and gotten graded on.

I’m all for supporting others and trying to offer assistance and be positive, but you can only lead a horse to water, you can’t make them drink it. You not thinking that your lack of projects doesn’t have anything to do with the lack of employment really baffles me. :thinking:

I am fed up with an engineering degree not beeing good enough to be employable as a junior dev. I am fed up with seeing people who did no coding whatsoever on their spare time, who have no portfolio whatsoever get comfy dev jobs because they happen to know the right people. While I am told that whatever I do is not good enough, I have to invent a new datastructure, prove that P != NP, solve the Aanderaa–Karp–Rosenberg conjecture just to qualify for a junior dev position.

Look at the other thread with the person who got a dev job after 8 months. Where are your critiscisms of him not having any original projects on his portfolio?